The Animal Kingdom and their Characteristics

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Be familiarized with the animal kingdom;
2. Compare and contrast Animals and other forms of organisms; and
3. Appreciate the importance of animal kingdom and their characteristics.

The Animal Kingdom

Animals are the largest most diverse kingdom of life on earth. All life on earth can be
categorized into 5 major groups. Over 2 million individual species have been identified so far in all life.

Known species in each group:

Kingdom # of species
Bacteria 10,000
Protista 65,000
Fungi 100,000
Plants 300,000
Animals 1,700,000

Animals clearly dominate

 Almost ¾ of all known species belong in animal kingdom.

Estimates of the total number of living animal species, known and unknown are difficult to
make. Yet all indications are that there are many more species yet to be discovered. Each year there is
13,000 new species are described.

Some of the most diverse areas on earth are just beginning to be investigated.

e.g. vertebrates

birds : 3 new bird species/ year described

fish : estimate only 40% of those South America have been described.

e.g. invertebrates

insects : approximately 700 new species of insects are described each year.

e.g. of 19 trees in one Panaman study 1200 species of beetles were collected and 80% of
them were new species.
 e.g. marine invertebrates of the deep ocean

Only 1.5% of the deep oceans have been investigated

On an area the size of a parking lot off New England coast 800 different species of marine
invertebrates are found.

Recently discovered whole new kind of community of 100’s of new species of organisms.

Marine biologists estimate there may be up to 10M invertebrate species in the deep
ocean alone.

There are probably approximately 25 times more animal species that have not yet been named
than those that have been named.

All animals alive today alive today comprises less than 10% of all animals that have ever lived.

Perhaps 500 m species of animals have lived on this earth in the last billion years.

Even in terms of total numbers of individuals, animals are second only to bacteria.
e.g. estimate 10,000 Trillion acts on planet
- all the earth’s ants weigh approximately same as all earth’s human population
e.g. there are more animals on earth than stars in our galaxy

ANIMAL RECORDS
 Largest animal
 Longest – Lions Mane, jellyfish, 150 long
 Tallest living animal – Giraffe, Giraffe camelopardalis, 19’ (5.8m)
 Most massive – blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, 75-100 ft long, 195 tons
 Largest of all reptiles: Seismosaurus hallorum, 120 ft long; 30-80 tons
 The sauropod dinasaur, Argentinosaurus, 90 tons
 Largest animal, male Savannah Elephants, 11 tall, 7.25 tons
 Largest land mammal, Baluchitherium
 Smallest Animal
 Some unusual invertebrates less than 100 cells
 Longest lived animal
 The ocean quahog, a type of clam
 Invertebrates
 Sea urchins – 200 years
 Crinoids – 1000 years
 Sea anemones – 1000 years
 Cold Blooded Vertebrates
  Chilean sea bass – 100 years
 Madagascar radiated tortoise – 188-192 years
 Warm Blooded Vertebrates
 Macaw birds – 100 years
 Bowhead whale – 245 years
 Primates – 122 years

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ANIMAL
The following the characteristics of an animal:
1. All animals are multicellular organisms.
 Cell is the basic unit of life. All living things are composed of cells, an organism can consist of one
or more cells.
o Unicellular = solitary cells
e.g. bacteria, some protists
o Multicellular = always consists of many cells
 Different cells have become specialized for different functions
 Cells are interdependent on each other
 Cells never found alone
e.g. most fungi, all plants, all animals
 Animals show the best development of multicellularity of all kingdoms.
2. Most animals are motile; they move around in some way; walk, run, swim, climb, dig, etc.
 Only a few, mostly simple animals are sessile; they don’t move around
e.g. corals, barnacles, etc.
 Even they are motile at some point in their life cycle.
3. Most animals have true tissues, organs, and organ systems.
4. All animals are heterotrophs
 A few marine species carry chloroplasts in their skin cells and can do photosynthesis.
o The chloroplasts are taken from the algae they eat.
 A newly discovered species of sea slug actually contains some of the genes for photosynthesis in
its own genome.
o But still needs to steal chloroplasts to do photosynthesis.
 All life requires a set of nutrients
o Chemicals that are essential to keep the organism alive.
o These nutrients may be used as building blocks or as an energy source.
 Nutrients are used as building blocks to make cells, tissues, skeletons, blood, etc.
 Organisms also need an energy source to power everything that an organism does.
o The direct source of a cell’s energy is the breakdown of organic molecules (mainly
sugar).
 i.e. they use chemical energy
 energy is stored in “chemical bonds”
 when you break bonds you release energy
  organic molecules have lots of bonds and store lots of energy.
 Organisms have developed two basic ways to get these energy molecules:
o Heterotrophs
 Organisms that must eat organic molecules and then break them down for
energy.
 e.g. us and animals

o Autotrophs
 Organisms that take exact energy from sunlight or some other source to
make organic molecules.
 Then they break them down as needed for energy
 They don’t need organic molecules in the diet.
 E.g. plants, algae and some bacteria
5. Most animals produce energy by aerobic respiration
 Sugars and organic molecules can be broken down for energy with or without O2 gas.
 Producing energy without the use of O2 is called anaerobic respiration and is common in
bacteria and some fungi.
 Aerobic respiration extracts much more energy from organic food.
 Anaerobic respiration of sugar – 2 units energy
 Aerobic respiration of sugar – 36-38 units of energy
 Some animals can use anaerobic respiration temporarily or in specific tissues such as
muscle tissue but primarily rely in aerobic respiration for most energy.
6. Most animals store extra energy as fats or oils
 Most efficient way to store energy for active animals
 e.g. twice as efficient as storing extra energy as starch as plants do.
7. Most animals have a head with distinct sense organs and some kind of brain.
8. Most animals have outgrowths, processes or appendages for sensory functions, collecting food
&/or for movement.
 E.g. mouthparts, antennae, tentacles, find, legs, wings
9. Most reproduce both sexually and asexually
 Asexual: exact copy, clones
 easier, quicker, don’t need a mate
 Sexual: unique combination of traits
 Produces a variation which allows adaptation and evolution
 Involves specialized sex cells, sperm and egg
10. Most animals show complex development, with extended embryonic phase, often with free
living larval stages.
 All organisms pass through a characteristic life cycle
 Changes in size and shape
 Frog : embryo- larva- adult
 Human : embryo – fetus – juvenile – adult
  Butterfly : embryo – caterpillar (larva) - pupa- adult
 Fly : embryo – maggot (larva) – pupa – adult
 Clam : embryo – larva (glochidium) – adult
 Some involve alternation of two completely different forms; one that reproduces
asexually, one sexually.
 The immature forms may be self-sufficient or completely dependent on mother for
nourishment and protection
 e.g. embryos, larvae, nymps, etc.
 The life cycle often involves metamorphosis of one free living form into another
 In some animals the embryonic or immature stage is dormant or resistant stage.
11. Behavior is an important tool for animal survival
 Behavior plays a major role in how they interact with their environment and with each
other
 Behavior plays a major role in food gathering, social interactions, mating and care of
young.
 All behavior has genetic basis.
 Follows Darwinian evolution to some degree
1. Predictable
2. Programmed
3. Adaptive

 Behavior are either:

 Instinctive
o Taxes
o Reflexes
o Fixed action pattern
o Mimicry, camouflage
 Learned
o Imprinting
o Habituation
o Conditioning
o Social ( courtship, reproductive, family, group)
12. Probably some of the most unique chemicals produced by animals are a huge variety of venoms
13. All living things constantly adapt to their environment in many ways through physiological,
anatomical or behavioral changes.
14. Adaptations also occur across generations as the most useful traits are selected and passed on
while harmful are eliminated.

References:
Suggested Activities:
DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer: Write your answer on the space provided before the number.

_______ 1. They are the largest and most diverse kingdom of life on earth.
A. Bacteria B. Protists C. Plants D. animals
_______ 2. There are 3 new species described per year on this type of vertebrates
A. Fish B. Birds C. Spiders D. Ants
_______ 3. The longest animal in existence with 60 m long.
A. Giraffe B. Blue whale C. Nemertia D. Crustacea
_______ 4. The tallest living animal
A. Giraffe B. Blue whale C. Nemertia D. Crustacea
_______ 5. It is the basic unit of life
A. Cell B. Tissue C. Organ system D. Organ
_______ 6. The characteristics of animals which means they move around in some ways; walk, run,
swim, climb, dig, etc.
A. Irritable B. Motile C. Sessile D. Growth
_______ 7. Organisms that eat organic molecules and then break down for energy.
A. Autotrophs B. Heterotrophs C. Carnivores D. Omnivores
_______ 8. Most animals store extra energy as _______________.
A. Carbohydrates B. Proteins C. Fats D. DNA
_______ 9. All are outgrowths, processes or appendages; EXCEPT:
A. Antennae B. Abdomen C. Legs D. Wings
_______ 10. It plays a major role in how they interact with their environment and with each other.
A. Sexual B. Behavior C.Life cycle D. Respiration